On paper, Republicans were poised to have a very good year in Virginia’s off-year elections. For over a generation, whichever party controls the White House invariably loses in the commonwealth, in Virginia this year, Democrats nominated a gubernatorial candidate who’d never held elected office, didn’t have deep political roots in the state, and wasn’t especially well liked by voters.

It looked like a recipe for GOP success. It wasn’t. As the dust settles on Election Day, Terry McAuliffe (D) has narrowly won Virginia’s gubernatorial race, Ralph Northam (D) was easily elected Virginia’s next lieutenant governor, and Mark Herring (D) very narrowly leads the still-uncalled race for state attorney general.

The Tea Party wing of Virginia’s Republican Party got the extremist candidates they wanted, and it looks like they lost in a clean sweep.

There’s no shortage of relevant angles to the Virginia elections, but there are two of particular interest. The first relates to the Affordable Care Act.

For Republican Ken Cuccinelli, who knew he was losing, condemnations of “Obamacare” became the driving message of his entire campaign in the race’s closing weeks. The GOP gubernatorial hopeful said, over and over again (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8ogCRAPhYY), that the gubernatorial race would be “a referendum on Obamacare (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/nov/2/cuccinelli-casts-virginia-election-referendum-obam/).” As recently as Monday – the day before the election – Cuccinelli said (http://washingtonexaminer.com/article/2538451#.Unj9EkFVEcM.twitter), “Tomorrow in Virginia is a referendum on Obamacare. Let’s send a message and say ‘no’ tomorrow to Obamacare.”

At the same event, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told (http://washingtonexaminer.com/article/2538451#.Unj9EkFVEcM.twitter) Virginians, “This is the first election in America since the full impact of Obamacare has been felt. This is the first chance that people in America have to speak clearly at the ballot box about the impact this law is having on their lives and our economy.”

And then Cuccinelli lost, at which point the right said that the race was close because Virginians don’t like the Affordable Care Act.

Maybe it’s worth pausing to remind Republicans what the word referendum means (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/referendum): “an event in which the people of a county, state, etc., vote for or against a law that deals with a specific issue.” I don’t mean to sound picky, but folks shouldn’t call a race a referendum, lose, and then say the referendum proves how right they were – at least if they want to be taken seriously.

Second, it’s important to realize just how significant women’s health was in this race, which McAuliffe won thanks to a sizable gender gap. Dahlia Lithwick explained (http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2013/11/05/ken_cuccinelli_loses_in_virginia_women_say_no_than ks_we_re_cool.html) overnight, “An official who consistently used his elected office to promote policies that shamed, marginalized, and patronized women and other minorities was met with a ‘no.’ This wasn’t just about money, or the shutdown, or Star Scientific, or Terry McAuliffe’s fancy Clinton-era friends. It was about voters and what they know to be true.”

Irin Carmon added some important context (http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/how-women-won-the-virginia-race):
Democrats already generally enjoy an advantage with female and non-white voters, and particularly with voters who fall in both of those categories. But the 2009 race in Virginia was dominated by concerns about the economy and anger at Obama, which in the tradition of Virginia off-year elections, wound up being predictive of the 2010 midterms.

In 2012, the focus on a broad range of women’s issues, including an unapologetic position in favor of abortion rights, helped Barack Obama. The gift to the McAuliffe campaign was that the McDonnell administration, with Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli as a faithful warrior, went on to put restricting reproductive rights front and center on the legislative agenda.
If recent history is any guide, the right will come up with a variety of creative excuses for failure, explaining why their defeats were really victories if you close one eye and tilt your head just so. But reality is stubborn – Republicans in a competitive, “purple,” battleground state nominated right-wing candidates, alienated the voting mainstream, and lost races they probably should have won.

If the GOP’s lesson from these results is that the party needs to be even more conservative, we will see identical results in Virginia and elsewhere in the near future.

Rigs11

11-06-2013, 11:00 AM

Eat it teabaggers

L.A. BRONCOS FAN

11-06-2013, 11:03 AM

^ :yep:

My favorite excerpt:

For Republican Ken Cuccinelli, who knew he was losing, condemnations of “Obamacare” became the driving message of his entire campaign in the race’s closing weeks. The GOP gubernatorial hopeful said, over and over again (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8ogCRAPhYY), that the gubernatorial race would be “a referendum on Obamacare (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/nov/2/cuccinelli-casts-virginia-election-referendum-obam/).” As recently as Monday – the day before the election – Cuccinelli said (http://washingtonexaminer.com/article/2538451#.Unj9EkFVEcM.twitter), “Tomorrow in Virginia is a referendum on Obamacare. Let’s send a message and say ‘no’ tomorrow to Obamacare.”

If the Tea Party is losing elections like this in places like Alabama? They've got no hope in places like Michigan where Justin Amash is going to face a stiff primary challenge.

The Tea Partiers were right about one thing...there will be primaries where it will be a referendum on who's in office...but I think they got it wrong on who's going to be primary-ing whom. :)

peacepipe

11-06-2013, 01:07 PM

the silence from the right is deafening.

TonyR

11-06-2013, 01:10 PM

If the Tea Party...

Speaking of the Tea Party, although very early it's really starting to look like it will be Chris Christie vs. The Tea Party for the GOP nomination for 2016. In other words, a guy who has a chance to win the general vs. a guy who doesn't. Will be interesting to see what happens.

Rigs11

11-06-2013, 02:11 PM

Speaking of the Tea Party, although very early it's really starting to look like it will be Chris Christie vs. The Tea Party for the GOP nomination for 2016. In other words, a guy who has a chance to win the general vs. a guy who doesn't. Will be interesting to see what happens.

Speaking of the Tea Party, although very early it's really starting to look like it will be Chris Christie vs. The Tea Party for the GOP nomination for 2016. In other words, a guy who has a chance to win the general vs. a guy who doesn't. Will be interesting to see what happens.

I agree that it will be interesting to watch, but I think even the establishment Republicans are going to kick and scream the whole way. You can tell a lot from the election coverage last night...CNN, MSNBC and C-SPAN all had extensive coverage for hours, even though it was an off-off-year election. FOX News only had Christie's victory speech.

They don't want the guy who says "I won't let either party get in the way of me doing my job." Too unpredictable and not enough in lock-step with what they feel he should do or say.

L.A. BRONCOS FAN

11-06-2013, 08:22 PM

the silence from the right is deafening.

You gotta give 'em a little time to assemble their Fox & Friends talking points.

Instead of learning the lesson here, the TeaPublicans will undoubtedly double down on stupid and keep on truckin.'

L.A. BRONCOS FAN

11-08-2013, 09:49 PM

http://www.bartcop.com/cruz-palin-2016-HRC.jpg

cutthemdown

11-09-2013, 09:32 AM

It's good for repubs to have tea party lose power IMO.

cutthemdown

11-09-2013, 09:34 AM

It's going to be Christie and the Dems will have to resort to attacking his weight, and the fact in his past he did some questionable ethical things. Those things if Christie was smart he would leak out himself right now. I think mostly a couple contracts given to people he knows? I rem reading something where Romney backed off Christie as a running mate because of them.

he can just go Obama playbook though and say they are lies and made up by dems. Thats the new plan in DC now. Even when caught you just say its a set up, its BS, its made up by my enemies.

peacepipe

11-09-2013, 07:18 PM

It's going to be Christie and the Dems will have to resort to attacking his weight, and the fact in his past he did some questionable ethical things. Those things if Christie was smart he would leak out himself right now. I think mostly a couple contracts given to people he knows? I rem reading something where Romney backed off Christie as a running mate because of them.

he can just go Obama playbook though and say they are lies and made up by dems. Thats the new plan in DC now. Even when caught you just say its a set up, its BS, its made up by my enemies.

attack his weight? no. there will be plenty to attack once he is nominated,if nominated. being a republican brings a cornucopia of things to attack. not to mention his poor temperament. that ego of his might fly in NJ but not nationally.

fankadeo

11-10-2013, 02:22 AM

It's going to be Christie and the Dems will have to resort to attacking his weight, and the fact in his past he did some questionable ethical things. Those things if Christie was smart he would leak out himself right now. I think mostly a couple contracts given to people he knows? I rem reading something where Romney backed off Christie as a running mate because of them.

he can just go Obama playbook though and say they are lies and made up by dems. Thats the new plan in DC now. Even when caught you just say its a set up, its BS, its made up by my enemies.

you are wacky i like you

El Guapo

11-10-2013, 05:35 AM

Most of Virginia is very far right and like most of the US the city w the largest population rules the roost. In this case its the Northern Virginia area (DC) which is full of granola eating, Prius driving, turtle neck wearing libs. This part of the city is completely opposite from the rest of the state.

peacepipe

11-10-2013, 11:23 AM

Most of Virginia is very far right and like most of the US the city w the largest population rules the roost. In this case its the Northern Virginia area (DC) which is full of granola eating, Prius driving, turtle neck wearing libs. This part of the city is completely opposite from the rest of the state.

so a majority of voters live in NVA.

houghtam

11-10-2013, 01:16 PM

so a majority of voters live in NVA.

Yeah, I'm sure this guy is the same type of person who looks at the map on Election Day and says, "Look at all that red! I don't understand how we lost!"

Uhh

W*GS

11-10-2013, 02:49 PM

Yeah, I'm sure this guy is the same type of person who looks at the map on Election Day and says, "Look at all that red! I don't understand how we lost!"

Uhh

Didn't you know? It's one unit area, one vote. It says so right in the USC, right after the part about the US being a Christian nation.

DenverBrit

11-10-2013, 04:06 PM

It's going to be Christie and the Dems will have to resort to attacking his weight, and the fact in his past he did some questionable ethical things. Those things if Christie was smart he would leak out himself right now. I think mostly a couple contracts given to people he knows? I rem reading something where Romney backed off Christie as a running mate because of them.

he can just go Obama playbook though and say they are lies and made up by dems. Thats the new plan in DC now. Even when caught you just say its a set up, its BS, its made up by my enemies.

There will be plenty to attack and it will be the far right, as well as Dems doing the attacking. Weight won't be an issue.

houghtam

11-10-2013, 04:34 PM

Didn't you know? It's one unit area, one vote. It says so right in the USC, right after the part about the US being a Christian nation.

LOL

Could you be more specific? Where is it in relation to the part where it says taxes are illegal?

L.A. BRONCOS FAN

11-10-2013, 06:09 PM

Most of Virginia is very far right and like most of the US the city w the largest population rules the roost. In this case its the Northern Virginia area (DC) which is full of granola eating, Prius driving, turtle neck wearing libs. This part of the city is completely opposite from the rest of the state.

Translation: Not enough toothless hicks to pull this one out for the TeaPublicans.

barryr

11-11-2013, 09:53 AM

Funny, the democrat candidate spends a ton more than the republican or libertarian in VA, which means got far more money contributed by the "evil" wealthy. Yeah, I know it's different, they must be the "good" wealthy ones. Maybe people should start figuring out why the democrats are getting more money than anybody else from the wealthy instead of the usual pretend it isn't happening routine. Maybe the wealthy prosper more with democrats since they seem to screw up everything for everybody else besides the rich.

DenverBrit

11-11-2013, 10:18 AM

Funny, the democrat candidate spends a ton more than the republican or libertarian in VA, which means got far more money contributed by the "evil" wealthy. Yeah, I know it's different, they must be the "good" wealthy ones. Maybe people should start figuring out why the democrats are getting more money than anybody else from the wealthy instead of the usual pretend it isn't happening routine. Maybe the wealthy prosper more with democrats since they seem to screw up everything for everybody else besides the rich.

Funny, the democrat candidate spends a ton more than the republican or libertarian in VA, which means got far more money contributed by the "evil" wealthy. Yeah, I know it's different, they must be the "good" wealthy ones. Maybe people should start figuring out why the democrats are getting more money than anybody else from the wealthy instead of the usual pretend it isn't happening routine. Maybe the wealthy prosper more with democrats since they seem to screw up everything for everybody else besides the rich.

Well they realize without govt pumping up the economy they would have to invest their own money to do the same. Right now though you can go out and get Obama to give 400 million, and then you can just go bankrupt.

Funny, the democrat candidate spends a ton more than the republican or libertarian in VA, which means got far more money contributed by the "evil" wealthy. Yeah, I know it's different, they must be the "good" wealthy ones. Maybe people should start figuring out why the democrats are getting more money than anybody else from the wealthy instead of the usual pretend it isn't happening routine. Maybe the wealthy prosper more with democrats since they seem to screw up everything for everybody else besides the rich.

you dipshet, the reason he lost was because moderate republicans did not support him.The dems are getting more money because the candidates that the GOP puts out there are bat shet crazy.

Garcia Bronco

11-12-2013, 06:16 PM

you dipshet, the reason he lost was because moderate republicans did not support him.The dems are getting more money because the candidates that the GOP puts out there are bat shet crazy.

And that was true in this case. I don't live there anymore, but most of my moderate friends did not consider him at all. In fact, I can't think of one person I still talk to from there that did.

Rohirrim

11-13-2013, 07:50 AM

Is big business turning against the Tea Party radicals?
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/big-business-tea-party-get-out-our-way-2D11577339

BroncoBeavis

11-13-2013, 08:27 AM

Funny how hardily these kids will rally around a win by a quintessential K-street lobbyist so long as he wears the right letter behind his name. LOL

They give the standing-o to the big money Wall-street guy eeking out an election with 2-1 spending, yet wail and moan any time money swings things the other direction. LOL

Rohirrim

11-13-2013, 08:54 AM

Funny how hardily these kids will rally around a win by a quintessential K-street lobbyist so long as he wears the right letter behind his name. LOL

They give the standing-o to the big money Wall-street guy eeking out an election with 2-1 spending, yet wail and moan any time money swings things the other direction. LOL

What on Earth are you talking about? Do you even know?

Rigs11

11-13-2013, 09:28 AM

Sometimes I think Beavis, cutthead, and barry are all the same poster.

houghtam

11-13-2013, 01:11 PM

Funny how hardily these kids will rally around a win by a quintessential K-street lobbyist so long as he wears the right letter behind his name. LOL

They give the standing-o to the big money Wall-street guy eeking out an election with 2-1 spending, yet wail and moan any time money swings things the other direction. LOL

It's already been discussed, and apparently you missed it. It just proves that you can run pretty much anyone against the crazies in your party. Since you never answer direct questions, I'm putting on my best Beavis voice and shoving some words in your mouth for once. Your incorrect assumption here is that a "K-street lobbyist" is somehow less-preferable than the far right lunatics who have co-opted your party. Your feeling is that a guy like Ted Cruz is better for this country because at least he's not more of the same. Sorry, chump. Status quo may not be great, but I'd love to see a mother****ing ticker-tape parade every time people like Palin, Bachmann, Cruz or any of those other people are told to shut up and go back to where they belong, i.e. under a rock.

BroncoBeavis

11-13-2013, 01:19 PM

It's already been discussed, and apparently you missed it. It just proves that you can run pretty much anyone against the crazies in your party. Since you never answer direct questions, I'm putting on my best Beavis voice and shoving some words in your mouth for once. Your incorrect assumption here is that a "K-street lobbyist" is somehow less-preferable than the far right lunatics who have co-opted your party. Your feeling is that a guy like Ted Cruz is better for this country because at least he's not more of the same. Sorry, chump. Status quo may not be great, but I'd love to see a mother****ing ticker-tape parade every time people like Palin, Bachmann, Cruz or any of those other people are told to shut up and go back to where they belong, i.e. under a rock.

Don't think I've ever said much of anything about Cruz, Palin, or Bachmann.

But then again, the Populism shtick isn't my thing. Whether it's the pseudo-folksy Tea-Partier, or the Double-dealin D's Preachin it up for the po' folk while knifin' 'em in the back for their bundler buddies.

Compromise is required. And the rhetoric thrown out by either side of that coin pretty much makes that an impossibility.

houghtam

11-13-2013, 01:31 PM

Don't think I've ever said much of anything about Cruz, Palin, or Bachmann.

But then again, the Populism shtick isn't my thing. Whether it's the pseudo-folksy Tea-Partier, or the Double-dealin D's Preachin it up for the po' folk while knifin' 'em in the back for their bundler buddies.

Compromise is required. And the rhetoric thrown out by either side of that coin pretty much makes that an impossibility.

"Compromise."

When you assume that, say, Cuccinelli and McAuliffe are on opposite ends of the spectrum, "compromise" still ends up far to the right of where the real center is. I see you look away every time Roh or Fed or any of the other "lefties" (durrrr) on the board say Obama is a centrist.

We get it, that's your MO and has been for about thirty years or so. Have a lunatic stake out a position so insanely far right that everyone goes WTF, and then you demand "compromise" and ultimately get 90% of what you want. Then, hilariously/horrifically, you make the absurd claim that the United States is getting more conservative as a nation, despite the fact that states are passing gay marriage and marijuana laws left and right! All the while trivializing the efforts of people like Obama to pass anti-discrimination laws and the like, saying he's got more important things to do, like fix the economy that YOU ****ING BROKE IN THE FIRST PLACE!

But we're done with it. We're done. That's it. You're going to continue seeing stuff happen like just did in Virginia, Alabama, and yes even in New Jersey. Why NJ, you say? Because that's what a race should be like. Two centrists. Futurama had a great bit on Jack Johnson vs. John Jackson, but that's the way it should be when it comes to governing the nation. 75% of the nation is made up of people in the middle of the aisle. You're right, **** the radicals. Your understanding of what radical means needs a ton of work, though.

BroncoBeavis

11-13-2013, 02:03 PM

"Compromise."

When you assume that, say, Cuccinelli and McAuliffe are on opposite ends of the spectrum, "compromise" still ends up far to the right of where the real center is. I see you look away every time Roh or Fed or any of the other "lefties" (durrrr) on the board say Obama is a centrist.

We get it, that's your MO and has been for about thirty years or so. Have a lunatic stake out a position so insanely far right that everyone goes WTF, and then you demand "compromise" and ultimately get 90% of what you want. Then, hilariously/horrifically, you make the absurd claim that the United States is getting more conservative as a nation, despite the fact that states are passing gay marriage and marijuana laws left and right! All the while trivializing the efforts of people like Obama to pass anti-discrimination laws and the like, saying he's got more important things to do, like fix the economy that YOU ****ING BROKE IN THE FIRST PLACE!

But we're done with it. We're done. That's it. You're going to continue seeing stuff happen like just did in Virginia, Alabama, and yes even in New Jersey. Why NJ, you say? Because that's what a race should be like. Two centrists. Futurama had a great bit on Jack Johnson vs. John Jackson, but that's the way it should be when it comes to governing the nation. 75% of the nation is made up of people in the middle of the aisle. You're right, **** the radicals. Your understanding of what radical means needs a ton of work, though.

Yeah, you kids keep tellin' me how middle-o-the-road President Skyrocket is. But as I've asked before. What would a "Real Liberal" President's (King) first 100 days look like?